Blocks for elevating bed legs

ABSTRACT

A pair of stackable, nestable blocks for elevating the leg of a bed to a plurality of selectable heights employs first and second blocks that each have upper and lower ends, with recesses being provided in at least one of the ends of each block that can be oriented upwardly to receive and support the foot or lower end region of a bed leg. Each block has a different length, which enables each block, used separately, to support the bed leg at a different height. Recesses of differing depths preferably are provided in opposite ends of at least one of the blocks, whereby the block or blocks that have dual-depth recesses can be inverted to provide bed leg support at two different heights. One of the two blocks preferably has a larger size than the other and is provided with recess(es) large enough to receive and support one or both of the end regions of the other of the blocks, whereby the smaller-size block can be stacked and nested atop the larger-size block to provide still more bed leg elevation heights. Five heights may be provided utilizing two blocks of different length and size if only one of the blocks is provided with different depth recesses. Additional bed leg elevation heights may be provided if both blocks have different depth recesses in their opposite ends.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to pairs of blocks forsupporting bed legs for raising one end of a bed for therapeutic orother purposes. More particularly, the present invention relates to apair of stackable, nestable blocks that may be employed singly or instacked combination to support a bed leg at a plurality of selectableheights.

2. Prior Art

Many people suffer from physical ailments which are relieved or treatedby resting or sleeping in a head-elevated or foot-elevated bed. Raisingthe foot end of a bed may assist those who have such physical conditionsas phlebitis or varicose veins. Raising the head end of a bed may assistthose who have such physical conditions as hiatal hernias as well asother gastronomical, cardiac and respiratory ailments.

The extent to which one end or the other of a bed should be elevated toprovide optimum relief or treatment differs from one circumstance toanother, and may need to be adjusted as circumstances change. To fullyaccommodate the needs of most patients, a capability to selectivelyelevate a bed leg at heights within the range of about one inch to aboutseven inches may prove helpful. However, most needs for bed legelevation are well served if elevation capabilities within a range ofabout two inches to about six inches are provided.

In an effort to address this need, a variety of bed leg elevationdevices have been proposed, some of which utilize stackable elements.Drawbacks common to many prior proposals have included the need toemploy relatively complexly configured bed leg support elements and/orthe need to employ a sizable number of stackable elements if bed legsupport at three or more heights is to be offered. Some prior proposalsrequire the use of as many as five stackable elements if a capability ofsupporting a bed leg at five distinct heights is to be offered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the foregoing and other needs anddrawbacks of the prior art by providing a pair of bed elevation blocksthat can be utilized individually or in stacked relationship to supporta bed leg at a variety of distinct heights. The invention offers acapability to support a bed leg at a surprising number of distinctheights by using nothing more than a simple pair of stackable, nestableblocks, either singly or in stacked combination.

A feature of the preferred practice of the invention resides in the verysimple configuration of the blocks that are employed--a configurationthat permits each of the blocks to be formed as a one-piece memberutilizing injection-molded material such as plastics--a configurationthat permits one or both of the blocks to be provided with differentdepth recesses at its opposite ends so that the block or blocks thathave different depth recesses may be used in both upright and invertedpositions to provide bed leg support at different heights.

One aspect of the present invention resides in the provision of a pairof one-piece blocks that are capable of being positioned atop a floorsurface in an upright orientation to independently support a bed leg atdifferent heights, with at least one of the blocks also being capable ofsupporting the bed leg at another height when positioned atop the floorsurface in an inverted orientation, and with the blocks also beingcapable of supporting the bed leg at still other heights when the blocksare stacked one atop the other. Preferably the stacked blocks also arecapable of supporting the bed leg at different heights depending on howthe blocks are oriented, with different bed leg elevation heights beingprovided depending on whether the blocks are stacked with both inupright orientations, or with one or both of the stacked blocksinverted.

In accordance with the preferred practice of the present invention, eachof the blocks has an upper end region and an opposed end region.Recesses are defined by each of the upper end regions and by at leastone of the opposed end regions. The opposed end region recess(es) differin depth from the upper end region recesses. All of these recesses areof sufficient size to permit the bottom end region of a conventional bedleg to be received and supported therein when the recesses are orientedto face upwardly. By this arrangement, the blocks each can be usedindependently in an upright orientation to support the bed leg atdifferent heights, and the block or blocks that have dual-depth recessescan be inverted to provide other bed leg support height(s). One of thetwo blocks preferably has a larger size than the other and is providedwith recess(es) that are large enough to receive and support one or bothof the end regions of the other of the blocks, whereby the smaller blockcan be stacked and nested atop the larger block to provide still morebed leg elevation heights.

By utilizing two blocks of different size and length that each haverecesses at one end, with one also having a different depth recess atits opposite end, a total of five different elevation heights can beprovided if the blocks are employed singly and in stacked combination.As many as eight different elevation heights can be provided by usingtwo blocks singly and in combination if both of the blocks havedifferent depth recesses in their opposite ends.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had byreferring to the following description and claims taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG.1 is a perspective view that depicts a pair of stackable, nestablebed leg support blocks that embody one form of the preferred practice ofthe present invention, with the blocks shown stacked, nested, andsupporting a foot of a bed leg atop a floor surface;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first of the two the blocks of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are sectional views as seen from planes indicated by thelines 5--5 and 6--6 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second of the two blocks of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view thereof;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are sectional views as seen from planes indicated by thelines 10--10 and 11--11 in FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view as seen from a plane indicated by a line12--12 in FIG. 3, showing the first block supporting the foot of a bedleg at one height atop a floor surface;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view as seen from a plane indicated by a line13--13 in FIG. 8, showing the second block in one orientation supportingthe bed leg at another height above the floor surface;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 13 but showing the secondblock in an inverted orientation supporting the bed leg at yet anotherheight above the floor surface;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view as seen from a plane indicated by a line15--15 in FIG. 1 showing the stacked blocks supporting the bed leg atanother height above the floor surface;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 15 but showing the secondblock in an inverted orientation stacked and nested atop the first blockand supporting the bed leg at still another height above the floorsurface;

FIG. 17 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 12 but on an enlargedscale, showing an alternate form of the first block that hasdifferent-depth recesses defined in opposite ends thereof;

FIG. 18 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 13 but on an enlargedscale, showing an alternate form of the second block;

FIG. 19 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 17 but on a diminishedscale, showing the first alternate block supporting the bed leg at oneheight atop a floor surface;

FIG. 20 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 19 but showing the firstalternate block in an inverted orientation supporting the bed leg atanother height atop a floor surface;

FIG. 21 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 18 but on a diminishedscale, showing the second alternate block in one orientation supportingthe bed leg at another height above the floor surface;

FIG. 22 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 21 but showing the secondalternate block in an inverted orientation supporting the bed leg at yetanother height above the floor surface;

FIG. 23 is a sectional view showing the first and second alternateblocks stacked in a first of four possible relationships supporting thebed leg at another height above the floor surface;

FIG. 24 is a sectional view showing the first and second alternateblocks stacked in a second of four possible relationships supporting thebed leg at another height above the floor surface;

FIG. 25 is a sectional view showing the first and second alternateblocks stacked in a third of four possible relationships supporting thebed leg at another height above the floor surface; and,

FIG. 26 is a sectional view showing the first and second alternateblocks stacked in a fourth of four possible relationships supporting thebed leg at another height above the floor surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, a pair of stacked, nested blocks 100 embodying oneform of the preferred practice of the present invention is shownsupporting the leg 110 of a conventional bed or bed frame (not shown) atone height above a floor surface 200. For purposes of illustrating oneof the many types of bed leg configurations that may be supported at aselection of heights by the blocks 110, the bed leg 110 is depicted ashaving a relatively large diameter foot 112 connected to an upwardlyextending stem 114.

The pair of blocks 100 includes a first or lower block 120 that isrelatively short and wide, and a second or upper block 220 that isrelatively tall and thin. In FIGS. 12-16, five ways are shown of usingthe blocks 120, 220 either singly or in stacked combination to supportthe bed leg 110 at different heights above the floor surface 200.

An upright position (or upright orientation) of the first block 120 isdepicted in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6, 12, 15 and 16. When upright, the upper endregion 124 of the first block 120 defines a relatively shallow, upwardlyfacing recess 122. The recess 122 is of sufficient size to permit eitheran upper end region 250 or an opposite end region 260 of the secondblock 220 to be received, nested and supported therein as is depicted inFIGS. 15 and 16, respectively. Alternatively, the recess 122 may receivethe foot 112 therein to enable the first block 120 to function, byitself, in supporting the bed leg 110 at a first height above the floorsurface 200, as shown in FIG. 12.

An upright position (or upright orientation) of the second block 220 isdepicted in FIGS. 1, 7, 10, 11, 13 and 15. When upright, the upper endregion 224 of the second block 220 defines a relatively shallow,upwardly facing recess 222. An inverted position (or invertedorientation) of the second block 220 is depicted in FIGS. 14 and 16.When inverted, the opposite end region 260 of the second block 220defines a relatively deep, upwardly facing recess 232. The recesses 222,232 are of sufficient size to permit the foot 112 of the bed leg 110 tobe received and supported therein at second and third heights above thefloor surface 200, as depicted in FIGS. 13 and 14, respectively; and atfourth and fifth heights above the floor surface 200 when the secondblock 220 is stacked and nested atop the first block 120, in upright andinverted positions, as depicted in FIGS. 15 and 16, respectively.

A feature that permits the different length, different sized blocks 120,220 to support the bed leg 110 at as many as five different heightsabove the floor surface 200 is the provision in opposite end regions ofthe second block 220 of recesses 222, 232 that are of different depth.If a greater selection of bed leg elevation heights is desired, as manyas eight different heights can be provided by utilizing differentlength, different sized blocks of an alternate form wherein each of theblocks has different depth recesses in its opposite ends--such as thealternate form of first block 1120 that is shown in FIG. 17, and thealternate form of second block 1220 that is shown in FIG. 18. In FIGS.19-26, a total of eight different ways are illustrated of using thealternate first and second blocks 1120, 1220 to obtain eight differentbed leg elevation heights. Features of the alternate blocks 1120, 1220and other aspects of what is depicted in FIGS. 17-26 will be discussedlater herein, after features of the blocks 120, 220 and other aspects ofwhat is shown in FIGS. 1-16 are treated in the paragraphs that follow.

In FIGS. 2-6, features of the first block 120 are shown. Referring toFIG. 2, the first block 120 has an upper end region 150 and an oppositeend region 160 that are connected by an upstanding side wall 170. A topsurface 152 is defined by the upper end region 150. A bottom surface 162is defined by the lower end region 160. The upstanding side wall 170 hasan exterior surface 172 that extends the full distance between andconnects the top and bottom surfaces 152, 162.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 6, the recess 122 of the first block 120is defined by a bottom wall 124 that parallels the planes of the top andbottom surfaces 152, 162, and by an upper interior surface 174 of theupstanding side wall 170. The depth of the recess 122 (as indicated bythe dimension R₁ in FIGS. 5 and 12) is defined by the distance betweenthe plane of the bottom wall 124 and the plane of the top surface 152.Referring to FIGS. 4-6, a lower interior surface 176 of the upstandingside wall 170 extends from the bottom wall 124 to the bottom surface162.

To strengthen and reinforce the bottom wall 124, an elongate,curved-bottom depression 126 is provided that opens upwardly into therecess 122, as is best seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 6. Referring to FIGS. 5and 6, the depression 126 has a curved bottom wall 128 that depends intoa space that is perimetrically surrounded by the lower interior surface176 of the upstanding side wall 170. Also depending into the spacesurrounded by the interior surface 176 is a reinforcing rib structure180 that has ribs 182, 184 that intersect to define an X-shape, as isbest seen in FIG. 4. The ribs 182, 184 extend at right angles to eachother and intersect mid-way along their lengths. Referring to FIGS. 4-6,upper portions of the rib 182 underlie and join with the bottom wall 128of the depression 126. Upper portions of the rib 184 underlie and joinwith portions of the bottom walls 124, 128. Bottom portions of the ribs182, 184 have bottom surfaces 192, 194 that reside in substantially thesame plane as the bottom surface 152.

In FIGS. 7-11, features of the second block 220 are shown. Referring toFIG. 7, the second block 220 has an upper end region 250 and an oppositeend region 260 that are connected by an upstanding side wall 270. A topsurface 252 is defined by the upper end region 250. A bottom surface 262is defined by the lower end region 260. The upstanding side wall 270 hasan exterior surface 272 that extends the full distance between andconnects the top and bottom surfaces 252, 262.

Referring to FIGS. 7, 8, 10 and 11, the recess 222 of the second block220 is defined by a bottom wall 224 that parallels the planes of the topand bottom surfaces 252, 262, and by an upper interior surface 274 ofthe upstanding side wall 270. The depth of the recess 222 (as indicatedby the dimension R₂ in FIGS. 10 and 13) is defined by the distancebetween the plane of the bottom wall 224 and the plane of the topsurface 252. Referring to FIGS. 9-10, a lower interior surface 276 ofthe upstanding side wall 270 extends from the bottom wall 224 to thebottom surface 262.

To strengthen and reinforce the bottom wall 224, an elongate,curved-bottom depression 226 is provided that opens upwardly into therecess 222, as is best seen in FIGS. 7, 8, 10 and 11. Referring to FIGS.10 and 11, the depression 226 has a curved bottom wall 228 that dependsinto a space that is perimetrically surrounded by the lower interiorsurface 276 of the upstanding side wall 270. Also depending into thespace surrounded by the interior surface 276 is a reinforcing ribstructure 280 that has ribs 282, 284 that intersect to define anX-shape, as is best seen in FIG. 9. The ribs 282, 284 extend at rightangles to each other and intersect mid-way along their lengths.Referring to FIGS. 9-11, upper portions of the rib 282 underlie and joinwith the bottom wall 228 of the depression 226. Upper portions of therib 284 underlie and join with portions of the bottom walls 224, 228.Bottom portions of the ribs 282, 284 have bottom surfaces 292, 94 thatextend in a plane that parallels the planes of the top and bottomsurfaces 252, 262. The depth of the recess 232 (as indicated by thedimension R₃ in FIGS. 10 and 14) is defined by the distance between theplane of the bottom surfaces 292, 294 and the plane of the bottomsurface 262.

Referring to FIG. 12, the dimension X refers to the total height orlength of the first block 120; and, the dimension H₁ refers to theheight at which the bed leg 110 is supported above the floor surface 200when seated in the first recess 122. Referring to FIG. 13, the dimensionY refers to the total height or length of the second block 220; and, thedimension H₂ refers to the height at which the bed leg 110 is supportedabove the floor surface 200 when seated in the second recess 222.Referring to FIG. 14, the dimension H₃ refers to the height at which thebed leg 110 is supported above the floor surface 200 when seated in thethird recess 232. Referring to FIG. 15, the sum of the dimensions H₁ andH₂ indicates the height at which the bed leg 110 is supported above thefloor surface 200 when seated in the second recess 222 when the blocks120, 220 are stacked with both of the blocks 120, 220 upright. Referringto FIG. 16, the sum of the dimensions H₁ and H₃ indicates the height atwhich the bed leg 110 is supported above the floor surface 200 whenseated in the third recess 232 when the blocks 120, 220 are stacked withthe first block 120 upright and the second block 220 inverted.

The fact that a total of five meaningfully different bed leg elevationheights can be provided within a desired range of between about one inchand about seven inches is best illustrated by means of an example.Referring to FIG. 12, assume: 1) that the full height of the first block120, as indicated by the dimension X, is 23/8"; 2) that a shallow depthof 5/8" inch is selected for the recess 122 (i.e., the dimension R₁),which means that using the recess 122 to support the bed leg 110 in themanner depicted in FIG. 12 will provide a bed leg elevation height H₁ of13/4" (obtained by subtracting 5/8" from 23/8") Referring to FIG. 13,assume: 1) that the full height of the second block 1220, as indicatedby the dimension Y, is 43/8"; 2) that a shallow depth of 5/8" isselected for the recess 222 (i.e., the dimension R₂), which means thatutilizing the recess 222 to support the bed leg 110 in the mannerdepicted in FIG. 13 will provide a bed leg elevation height H₂ of 33/4"(obtained by subtracting 5/8" from 43/8"); and, 3) that a relativelydeep depth of 17/8" is selected for the recess 232 (i.e., the dimensionR₃), which means that using the recess 232 to support the bed leg 110 inthe manner depicted in FIG. 14 will provide a bed leg elevation height"H₃ " of 21/2" (obtained by subtracting 17/8" from 43/8").

Utilizing the dimensions given above, the following bed leg elevationheights are provided by arranging the blocks 120, 220 in the fivedifferent ways that are depicted in FIGS. 12-16:

    ______________________________________                                        Leg Elevation Dimensions & Heights                                                                  Shown in FIGURES                                        ______________________________________                                        H.sub.1   =          13/4"    FIG. 12                                         H.sub.3     =           21/2"     FIG. 14                                     H.sub.2     =           33/4"     FIG. 13                                     H.sub.1 + H.sub.3                                                                       =           41/4"    FIG. 16                                        H.sub.1 + H.sub.2                                                                       =           51/2"    FIG. 15                                        ______________________________________                                    

In FIGS. 17, 19, 23 and 24, an upright position (or upright orientation)of the first alternate block 1120 is depicted; and, in FIGS. 20, 25 and26, an inverted position (or inverted orientation) of the alternatefirst block 1120 is shown. In FIGS. 18, 21, 23 and 25, an uprightposition (or upright orientation) of the second alternate block 1220 isdepicted; and, in FIGS. 22, 24 and 26, an inverted position (or invertedorientation) of the alternate second block 1220 is shown. When upright,upper end regions 1150, 1250 of the alternate first and second blocks1120, 1220 define upwardly facing recesses 1122, 1222 that arerelatively shallow. When inverted, opposite end regions 1160, 1260 ofthe alternate first and second blocks 1120, 1220 define upwardly facingrecesses 1132, 1232 that are relatively deep.

Because the alternate first block 1120 has many features that correspondin structure, arrangement and use to already described features of thefirst block 120, the description of features of the alternate firstblock 1120 can be held to a minimum by utilizing corresponding numeralsto designate corresponding features of the alternate first block 1120and the first block 120. Therefore, in the description that follows,features of the alternate first block 1120 that correspond to featuresof the first block 120 are indicated by numerals that differ by amagnitude of one thousand. For example, the alternate first block 1120has a recess 1122 that corresponds to the recess 122 of the first block120.

Likewise, because the alternate second block 1220 has many features thatcorrespond in structure, arrangement and use to already describedfeatures of the second block 220, the description of features of thealternate second block 1220 can be held to a minimum by utilizingcorresponding numerals to designate corresponding features of thealternate second block and the second block. Therefore, in thedescription that follows, features of the alternate second block 1220that correspond to features of the second block 220 are indicated bynumerals that differ by a magnitude of one thousand. For example, thealternate second block 1220 has recesses 1222, 1232 that correspond tothe recesses 222, 232 of the second block 220.

The principal difference between the alternate blocks 1120, 1220 and theblocks 120, 220 is that the alternate first block 1120 has a sidewallbottom surface 1162 that does not extend in the same plane as the bottomsurfaces 1192, 1194 of the ribs 1182, 1184--whereby the alternate firstblock 1120 defines a recess 1132 that finds no counterpart in the firstblock 120 inasmuch as the sidewall bottom surface 162 of the first block120 extends in the same plane as the bottom surfaces 192, 194 of theribs 182, 184. Referring to FIGS. 17 and 20, the depth of the recess1132 is defined by the distance between the plane of the bottom surfaces1192, 1194 of the ribs 1182, 1184 and the plane of the bottom surface1162 of the sidewall 1170, as indicated in FIG. 20 by the dimension Z₁.

In FIG. 17, features of the alternate first block 1120 are shown. Thealternate first block 1120 has an upper end region 1150 and an oppositeend region 1160 that are connected by an upstanding side wall 1170. Atop surface 1152 is defined by the upper end region 1150. A bottomsurface 1162 is defined by the lower end region 1160. The upstandingside wall 1170 has an exterior surface 1172 that extends the fulldistance between and connects the top and bottom surfaces 1152, 1162.

The recess 1122 of the first block 1120 is defined by a bottom wall 1124that parallels the planes of the top and bottom surfaces 1152, 1162, andby an upper interior surface 1174 of the upstanding side wall 1170. Thedepth of the recess 1122 (as indicated by the dimension Z₃ in FIGS. 17and 19) is defined by the distance between the plane of the bottom wall1124 and the plane of the top surface 1152. A lower interior surface1176 of the upstanding side wall 1170 extends from the bottom wall 1124to the bottom surface 1162.

To strengthen and reinforce the bottom wall 1124, an elongate,curved-bottom depression 1126 is provided that opens upwardly into therecess 1122. The depression 1126 has a curved bottom wall 1128 thatdepends into a space that is perimetrically surrounded by the lowerinterior surface 1176 of the upstanding side wall 1170. Also dependinginto the space surrounded by the interior surface 1176 is a reinforcingrib structure 1180 that has ribs 1182, 1184 that intersect to define anX-shape. The ribs 1182, 1184 extend at right angles to each other andintersect mid-way along their lengths. Upper portions of the rib 1182underlie and join with the bottom wall 1128 of the depression 1126.Upper portions of the rib 1184 underlie and join with portions of thebottom walls 1124, 1128. Bottom portions of the ribs 1182, 1184 havebottom surfaces 1192, 1194 that parallel but are spaced from the planeof the bottom surface 1162 of the sidewall 1170. The distance betweenthe plane of the bottom surfaces 1192, 1194 and the plane of the bottomsurface 1162 defines the depth of the recess 1132, as indicated in FIGS.17 and 20 by the dimension Z₁.

In FIG. 18, features of the alternate second block 1220 are shown. Thealternate the second block 1220 has an upper end region 1250 and anopposite end region 1260 that are connected by an upstanding side wall1270. A top surface 1252 is defined by the upper end region 1250. Abottom surface 1262 is defined by the lower end region 1260. Theupstanding side wall 1270 has an exterior surface 1272 that extends thefull distance between and connects the top and bottom surfaces 1252,1262.

The recess 1222 of the second block 1220 is defined by a bottom wall1224 that parallels the planes of the top and bottom surfaces 1252,1262, and by an upper interior surface 1274 of the upstanding side wall1270. The depth of the recess 1222 (as indicated by the dimension Z₄ inFIGS. 17 and 21) is defined by the distance between the plane of thebottom wall 1224 and the plane of the top surface 1252. A lower interiorsurface 1276 of the upstanding side wall 1270 extends from the bottomwall 1224 to the bottom surface 1262.

To strengthen and reinforce the bottom wall 1224, an elongate,curved-bottom depression 1226 is provided that opens upwardly into therecess 1222. The depression 1226 has a curved bottom wall 1228 thatdepends into a space that is perimetrically surrounded by the lowerinterior surface 1276 of the upstanding side wall 1270. Also dependinginto the space surrounded by the interior surface 1276 is a reinforcingrib structure 1280 that has ribs 1282, 1284 that intersect to define anX-shape. The ribs 1282, 1284 extend at right angles to each other andintersect mid-way along their lengths. Upper portions of the rib 1282underlie and join with the bottom wall 1228 of the depression 1226.Upper portions of the rib 1284 underlie and join with portions of thebottom walls 1224, 1228. Bottom portions of the ribs 1282, 1284 havebottom surfaces 1292, 1294 that extend in a plane that parallels theplanes of the top and bottom surfaces 1252, 1262. The depth of therecess 1232 (as indicated by the dimension Z₂ in FIGS. 18 and 22) isdefined by the distance between the plane of the bottom surfaces 1292,1294 and the plane of the bottom surface 1262.

Four ways in which the alternate first and second blocks 1120, 1220 maybe utilized, by themselves, in upright and inverted positions, toprovide four different bed leg elevation heights is depicted in FIGS.19-22. Four ways in which the alternate first and second blocks 120,1220 may be utilized in stacked combination to provide four additionalbed leg elevation heights is shown in FIGS. 23-26.

The fact that a total of eight meaningfully different bed leg elevationheights can be provided within a desired range of between about one inchand about seven inches is best illustrated by means of an example.Referring to FIG. 17, assume: 1) that the full height of the alternatefirst block 1120, as indicated by the dimension A is 33/8"; 2) that ashallow depth of 5/8" inch is selected for the recess 1122 (i.e., thedimension Z₃), which means that using the recess 1122 to support the bedleg 110 in the manner depicted in FIG. 19 will provide a bed legelevation height h₃ of 23/4" (obtained by subtracting 5/8" from 33/8");and, 3) that a relatively deep recess depth of 13/4" is selected for therecess 1132 (i.e, the dimension Z₁) which means that using the recess1132 to support the bed leg 110 in the manner depicted in FIG. 20 willprovide a bed leg elevation height h₁ of 15/8" (obtained by subtracting13/4" from 33/8"). Referring to FIG. 18, assume: 1) that the full heightof the alternate second block 1220, as indicated by the dimension B is45/8"; 2) that a shallow depth of 5/8" is selected for the recess 1222(i.e., the dimension Z₄), which means that utilizing the recess 1222 tosupport the bed leg 110 in the manner depicted in FIG. 21 will provide abed leg elevation height h₄ of 4" (obtained by subtracting 5/8" from45/8"); and, 3) that a relatively deep recess depth of 21/2" is selectedfor the recess 1232 (i.e., the dimension Z₂), which means that using therecess 1232 to support the bed leg 110 in the manner depicted in FIG. 22will provide a bed leg elevation height h₂ of 21/8" (obtained bysubtracting 21/2" from 45/8").

Utilizing the dimensions given above, the following bed leg elevationheights are provided by arranging the blocks 1120, 1220 in the eightdifferent ways that are depicted in FIGS. 19-26:

    ______________________________________                                        Leg Elevation Dimensions & Heights                                                                  Shown in FIGURES                                        ______________________________________                                        h.sub.1   =          15/8"    FIG. 20                                         h.sub.2     =                 21/8"                                                                              FIG. 22                                    h.sub.3     =                 23/4"                                                                              FIG. 19                                    h.sub.1 + h.sub.2                                                                         =         33/4"     FIG. 26                                       h.sub.4     =                 4"                                                                              FIG. 21                                       h.sub.3 + h.sub.2                                                                         =         47/8"     FIG. 24                                       h.sub.1 + h.sub.4                                                                         =         55/8"     FIG. 25                                       h.sub.3 + h.sub.4                                                                         =         63/4"     FIG. 23                                       ______________________________________                                    

What FIGS. 12-16 illustrate is that as many as five different bed legelevation heights may be provided by utilizing two different length,different size blocks singly and in stacked combination if one of theblocks, when upright and inverted, functions to support the bed leg atdifferent heights. What FIGS. 19-26 illustrate is that as many as eightdifferent bed leg elevation heights may be provided by utilizing twodifferent length, different size blocks singly and in stackedcombination if both of the blocks, when upright and inverted, functionto support the bed leg at different heights. Achieving this degree ofversatility by utilizing a simple pair of one-piece blocks representsone of the novel features of the invention Utilizing a stackable,nestable pair of blocks including at least one block having differentdepth recesses in opposed end regions for providing bed leg support atdifferent heights when upright and inverted represents another novelaspect of the invention.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with acertain degree of particularity, it is understood that the presentdisclosure of the preferred form is only by way of example and thatnumerous changes in the details of construction and the combination andarrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. It is intendedthat the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appendedclaims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the inventiondisclosed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pair of stackable blocks, each being ofone-piece construction, including a first block structure having meansfor supporting a bed leg at a first height above a floor surface whenpositioned atop the floor surface in an upright orientation, anda secondblock structure having means for supporting the bed leg at a secondheight above the floor surface when positioned atop the floor surface inan upright orientation, with at least one of the first and second blockstructures also having means for supporting the bed leg at anotherheight when positioned atop the floor surface in an invertedorientation, with the first and second block structures also beingstackable one atop another while in selected ones of said upright andinverted orientations for supporting the bed leg at at least oneadditional height above the floor surface, and, with the first, second,another, and additional heights differing from each other, therebyproviding a selection of bed leg elevation heights within a desiredrange of bed leg elevation heights.
 2. The pair of stackable blocks ofclaim 1 wherein the first and second block structures are stackable oneblock structure atop the other block structure in a plurality ofcombinations that include one stacked combination wherein least aselected one of the first and second block structures is in said uprightorientation, and at least another stacked combination wherein theselected one of the first and second block means is in said invertedorientation, with said one and another combinations being operable toprovide bed leg support at still other heights that reside within saidrange.
 3. The pair of stackable blocks of claim 1 additionally includingpositioning structure defined by at least one of the first and secondblock structures for assisting to align the first and second blockstructures when the first and second block structures are stacked oneatop another.
 4. The pair of stackable blocks of claim 1 wherein atleast a chosen one of the first and second block structures definesrecess means for receiving therein portions of another of the first andsecond block structures when the first and second block structures arestacked one atop another.
 5. The pair of stackable blocks of claim 4wherein the chosen one of the first and second block structures has topand bottom surfaces that extend in substantially parallel planes, andwherein the recess means is defined, in part, by a bottom wall thatextends in a bottom wall plane that is spaced between the parallelplanes and extends substantially parallel thereto.
 6. The pair ofstackable blocks of claim 5 wherein the said bottom wall plane is closerto one of the top and bottom parallel surface planes than to the otherof the top and bottom parallel surface planes, and the said bottom wallis reinforced by a formation that extends away from the bottom wallplane toward the other of the said parallel planes.
 7. A pair ofstackable blocks for being used individually and in stacked combinationto support a bed leg at a selection of heights above a floor surface,comprising,first and second blocks, each being of one-piece constructionand each having opposed end regions, with at least three of the endregions defining recesses therein that are configured to receive andsupport the bed leg therein when facing upwardly, with at least one ofthe recesses of at least a selected one of the blocks being ofsufficient size to receive and support therein the opposed end regionsof another of the blocks when the blocks are positioned in stackedcombination with one block atop another block to position a selected oneof the said recesses of said other of the blocks facing upwardly toreceive and support the bed leg therein, and, with the blocks havingheights and the recesses having depths that are selected to enable theblocks, when used singly and in stacked combination, to support the bedleg at a selection of different heights above a floor surface.
 8. Thepair of stackable blocks of claim 7 wherein each of the blocks hasrecesses of different depths formed in the opposite end regions thereof,and both of the recesses of the selected one of the blocks are ofsufficient size to receive and support therein the opposed end regionsof the other of the blocks when the blocks ant positioned in stackedcombination.
 9. The pair of stackable blocks of claim 8 wherein:a) theselected one of the blocks has opposed end surfaces connected by anupstanding side wall, with the opposed end surfaces extending in spacedplanes that are substantially parallel; b) the upstanding side wallsurrounds the recesses of different depths that are formed in theopposite end regions of the selected one of the blocks; c) a chosen oneof the recesses of the selected one of the blocks is defined, at leastin part, by a bottom wall that extends in a plane spaced between andsubstantially paralleling the spaced planes of the opposed end surfaces;and, d) the other of the recesses of the selected one of the blocks isdefined, at least in part, by rib formation means connected to andprojecting away from the bottom wall.
 10. A pair of stackable blocks forbeing used individually and in stacked combination to support a bed legat a selection of heights above a floor surface, comprising:a) a firstone-piece block structure positionable atop a floor surface in anupstanding position, with said block structure having means for definingan associated first support surface for supporting a bed leg at a firstheight above the floor surface; b) a second one-piece block structurepositionable atop a floor surface in an upstanding position, with saidsecond block structure having means for defining an associated secondsupport surface for supporting the bed leg at a second height above thefloor surface, and for being supported in stacked combination atop saidfirst support surface of the first block structure to position thesecond support surface to support the bed leg at a third height abovethe floor surface; c) with a selected one of the first and second blockstructures also defining an additional support surface for supportingthe bed leg at a fourth height above the floor surface when the selectedblock structure is positioned, inverted, atop the floor surface; and, d)wherein the said first, second, third, and fourth heights differ fromeach other to provide a selection of bed leg elevation heights within adesired range of bed leg elevation heights.
 11. The pair of stackableblocks of claim 10 additionally including positioning structure definedby at least one of the first and second block structures for assistingto maintain a stacked combination relationship of the first and secondblock structures when one selected block structure is supported instacked relationship atop another of the first and second blockstructures.
 12. The pair of stackable blocks of claim 10 wherein thesaid first support surface is located at a base of a first recessdefined by the first block structure, the said second support surface islocated at a base of a second recess defined by one end region of thesecond block structure, the additional support surface is located withina third recess defined by an opposite end region of the second blockstructure, and wherein the first recess is of sufficient size to permitthe said one end region and the said opposite end region of the secondblock structure to be received one at a time therein, and each of thefirst, second, and third recesses is of sufficient size to permit thebed leg to be received therein.
 13. The pair of stackable blocks ofclaim 10 wherein the selected block structure also is capable of beingsupported in stacked combination, inverted, atop the associated supportsurface of another of the first and second block structures forsupporting the bed leg at a fifth height above the floor surface, andwherein the fifth height differs from the first, second, third andfourth heights to thereby enhance the selection of bed leg elevationheights within said range.
 14. The pair of stackable blocks of claim 13additionally including a recess formation defined by at least one of thefirst and second block structures for receiving portions of the other ofthe first and second block structures to assist in maintaining a stackedcombination relationship of the first and second block structures whenthe first and second block structures are in said stacked combination.15. A pair of stackable blocks for being used individually and instacked combination to support a bed leg at a selection of at least fivedifferent heights above a floor surface, comprising:a) a first one-pieceblock that can be positioned atop a floor surface in an uprightposition, wherein the first block has a first side wall formation forextending substantially vertically to connect opposed end regions of thefirst block, with one of the opposed end regions of the first blockbeing configured to define a first upwardly facing recess when the firstblock is in the upright position, with the first upwardly facing recessbeing configured to receive and support a bed leg at a first heightabove the floor surface when the first block is positioned atop thefloor surface in the upright position; b) a second one-piece block thatcan be positioned atop the floor surface in an upright position and inan inverted position, wherein the second block has a second side wallformation for extending substantially vertically to connect opposed endregions of the second block, with one of the opposed end regions of thesecond block being configured to define a second upwardly facing recesswhen the second block is in the upright position, and with the other ofthe opposed end regions of the second block being configured to define athird upwardly facing recess when the second block is in the invertedposition, with the second upwardly facing recess being configured toreceive and support the bed leg at a second height above the floorsurface when the second block is positioned atop the floor surface inthe upright position, and with the third upwardly facing recess beingconfigured to receive and support the bed leg at a third height abovethe floor surface when the second block is positioned atop the floorsurface in the inverted position; c) with the second block beingstackable and nestable atop the first block because the first recess isconfigured to selectively receive therein the opposed end regions of thesecond block to selectively support the second block atop the floorsurface in a raised upright position and in a raised inverted position,with the raised upright position of the stacked first and second blocksbeing capable of receiving the bed leg within the second recess and ofsupporting the bed leg at a fourth height above the floor surface, andwith the raised inverted position of the stacked first and second blocksbeing capable of receiving the bed leg within the third recess and ofsupporting the bed leg at a fifth height above the floor surface; d)wherein said recesses are positioned along the length of the first andsecond blocks to cause the first, second, third, fourth and fifth toheights to differ from each other to provide a selection of bed legelevation heights within a desired range of bed leg elevation heights.16. The pair of stackable blocks of claim 15 wherein at least three ofthe first, second, third, fourth, and fifth heights are chosen toprovide a selection of significantly different bed leg support heightsthat are within a height range of substantially one inch tosubstantially seven inches.
 17. The pair of stackable blocks of claim 15wherein the second recess is defined, at least in part, by a bottom wallthat is engaged by the bed leg when the second recess receives andsupports the bed leg, and the third recess is defined, at least in part,by a formation that extends away from the bottom wall and is engaged bythe bed leg when the third recess receives and supports the bed leg. 18.The pair of stackable blocks of claim 17 wherein the second one-pieceblock includes an upstanding side wall that surrounds the second andthird recesses, and wherein the formation that extends away from thebottom wall is an X-shaped structure that also is surrounded by theupstanding side wall.
 19. A pair of stackable blocks for supporting abed leg at a selection of heights above a floor surface, comprising:a) afirst one-piece block that can be positioned atop a floor surface in anupright position and that can be positioned atop the floor surfaceinverted, wherein the first block has a first side wall formation forextending substantially vertically to connect opposed end regions of thefirst block, with one of the opposed end regions of the first blockbeing configured to define a first upwardly facing recess when the firstblock is in the upright position, with the first upwardly facing recessbeing configured to receive and support a bed leg at a first heightabove the floor surface when the first block is positioned atop thefloor surface in the upright position; b) a second one-piece block thatcan be positioned atop the floor surface in an upright position and thatcan be positioned atop the floor surface inverted, wherein the secondblock has a second side wall formation for extending substantiallyvertically to connect opposed end regions of the second block, with oneof the opposed end regions of the second block being configured todefine a second upwardly facing recess when the second block is in theupright position, with the second upwardly facing recess beingconfigured to receive and support the bed leg at a second height abovethe floor surface when the second block is positioned atop the floorsurface in the upright position; c) with the first recess beingconfigured to receive therein at least one of the opposed end regions ofthe second block for supporting the second block stacked and nested atopthe first block, with the second recess facing upwardly for receivingthe bed leg therein and for supporting the bed leg at a third heightabove the floor surface; d) with the other of the opposed end regions ofat least a selected one of the first and second blocks being configured,when inverted, to receive and support the bed leg at a fourth heightabove the floor surface; and, e) wherein the first, second, third andfourth heights differ from each other to provide a selection of bed legelevation heights within a desired range of bed leg elevation heights.20. The pair of stackable blocks of claim 19 wherein the first, second,third and fourth heights are chosen to provide a selection ofsignificantly different bed leg support heights that are within a heightrange of substantially one inch to substantially seven inches.